Beam arrangement for handling heavy elongate objects by power machinery

ABSTRACT

A support beam arrangement for handling heavy, elongate objects such as missiles and rockets having easily damaged external surface areas and which may be sensitive to shock. The arrangement permits such objects to be handled either by a fork lift truck or by the hoist line of an overhead crane and is adapted to be carried upon a conventional missile transporting cart having spaced, upright, load-supporting rails. The invention arrangement locks onto the usual forward and aft missile support lugs and includes lug-engaging shoes having stops that prevent separation of the missile from the support beam once the missile has been positioned in place and keeper pins inserted.

United States Patent [19] Cole [ Dec. 25, 1973 [76] Inventor: Clyde C. Cole, 5298 Harvard St.,

Ventura, Calif. 93003 [22] Filed: Oct. 24, 1972 [21] Appl. N0.: 299,994

[52] US. Cl. 294/81 R, 294/67 R [51] Int. Cl. B66c 1/66 [58] Field of Search 294/67 R, 67 AA,

294/67 B, 67 DA, 78 R, 78 A, 81 R, 81 SF [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,146,016 8/1964 Daymon 294/67 R 3,175,719 3/1965 Herndon 294/81 R 3,258,287 6/1966 Crosby 294/67 AA Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-Johnny D. Cherry Att0rneyRichard S. Sciascia et a1.

[5 7] ABSTRACT A support beam arrangement for handling heavy, elongate objects such as missiles and rockets having easily damaged external surface areas and which may be sensitive to shock. The arrangement permits such objects to be handled either by a fork lift truck or by the hoist line of an overhead crane and is adapted to be carried upon a conventional missile transporting cart having spaced, upright, load-supporting rails. The invention arrangement locks onto the usual forward and aft missile support lugs and includes lug-engaging shoes having stops that prevent separation of the missile from the support beam once the missile has been positioned in place and keeper pins inserted.

5 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures PAIENIED DEC 2 5 I973 SHEET 2 OF 4 BEAM ARRANGEMENT FOR HANDLING HEAVY ELONGATE OBJECTS BY POWER MACHINERY STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention is in the field of load handling devices and more particularly devices for handling heavy, elongate loads having radial protrusions of a delicate nature mounted thereon. It contemplates an adapter means to permit it to be supported by conventional, poweroperated, load handling machinery.

Heretofore, it has been difficult to load and transport heavy, elongate objects such as missiles and the like with conventional heavy duty machinery such as fork lift trucks. Also, the objects so handled cannot easily be mounted upon conventional carts for transport between storage areas and the place of use. Proper handling of such heavy, bulky objects is essential, however because many such as missiles, have radially protruding vanes or fins and are sensitive to shock, they must be grasped and manipulated with special care.

A part of the difficulty in handling such objects is the fact that it is frequently necessary to transfer them from one type of support to another, such as from a storage shelf or a power-operated, vertical hoist contrivance to a missile transport vehicle or cart, and such transfer and manipulation must frequently be under difficult conditions such as may be encountered aboard a rolling ship, under adverse weather conditions or in a confined space where precise control of missile orientation during all stages of manipulation thereof is absolutely essential.

Prior art contrivances for this purpose generally include special trucks having cranes mounted thereon and large cumbersome cradles which envelop the load and must be specially designed for the particular load. None are intended to permit the use of a fork-type, power lift truck.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A strong support beam or strong back is provided with means that permit it to be handled by a hoist line and also means whereby it may be secured to the load supporting rails of a transport cart. It includes special fittings adapted to mate with support surfaces or lugs provided on the load. In the case of a missile, such lugs are the same ones employed in mounting the weapon for firing.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a device which allows the use of conventional, readily available, power equipment in the handling of heavy elongate objects.

A further object is to facilitate the handling by such power equipment of objects having easily damaged protrusions extending therefrom such as instruments, fittings, couplings, vanes, tins, and the like.

Still another object is the provision of means on such a device to permit attachment of a hoist line at a point near the center of gravity of the load carried thereby and also to permit the load to be placed upon the load bearing rails of a framework which may comprise part of either a load storing rack or a load transporting vehicle.

Another object is to provide simple adapters which may be attached to portions of the load and are so designed that they may easily be coupled with and locked onto the load handling beam.

Still a further object is to provide means to prevent accidental end-to-end misplacement of the load.

Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 depicts a pair of load supporting beams of the present invention one located above and the other located below a heavy elongate load, such as a missile.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view with an end portion shown in section of a load support beam constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the device of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an end view, partially in phantom, showing the device of FIG. 2 as it appears from the left end.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken along a line substantially corresponding to line 55 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a greatly enlarged top plan view of a missile lug engaging adapter or forward shoe adapted to be used with the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view of the forward shoe of FIG. 6 taken along a line substantially corresponding to line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the forward shoe of FIGS. 6 and 7 taken along a line substantially corresponding to line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a similarly enlarged top plan view of a missile lug engaging adapter or rear shoe, adapted to be used with the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an end elevational view of the rear shoe of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the rear shoe of FIGS. 9 and I0, taken along a line substantially corresponding to line Ilil of FIG. 10.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings in detail and particularly to FIGS. 1 5 thereof, the device shown comprises an elongate, internally hollow, load supporting beam arrangement 10 of substantially rectangular crosssection. In FIG. 1, two such beam arrangements are shown, the upper one, 10a, supporting an elongate load, such as a missile 12, by means of a chain hoist 14 and the lower one, 10b, being mounted on a transport cart 16 of conventional construction. As best illustrated in FIG. 4, this beam may be formed from upper and lower U-shaped channel members 18 and 20, the upper one 18 being inverted and the abutting edges being seam welded to the lower one 20. Such beam may have a generally open interior provided with suitable reinforcing gussets and braces.

As shown in FIG. I, this beam is intended for use either above or below the elongate object to be supported, which object in the embodiment illustrated, is a guided missile 12 having easily damaged radially extending vanes or fins 22. Of course, the use of this device with other heavy elongate objects is also envisioned.

The beam may be provided adjacent each end with small adapter shoes 24 and 26; a forward shoe 24 being illustrated in detail in FIGS. 6 8, and a rear shoe 26 being illustrated in detail in FIGS. 9 11.

Shoes 24 and 26 each include a downwardly directed tapered stem portion 28 and 30, respectively, which is receivable in similarly tapered forward and rear sockets 32 and 34 located at the beam ends as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. These shoes may be retained in their respective sockets by quick disconnect keeper pins 36 and 38, which in turn may be tethered to their respective beam ends by suitable lanyards.

Beam 10 is provided with transversely disposed, tubular, prong receiving sleeves 40 and 42, adapted to receive the spaced prongs or tines of a conventional fork lift truck to permit that piece of power equipment to be employed to lift and transport the beam and its attached load in any fashion desired. These tubular sleeves 40, 42 preferably each have an opening therethrough and are of such size and are spaced apart a sufficient distance to receive conventional fork lift tines. Also, they are preferably so located along the beam length that the center of gravity of the missile or other object being supported lies between two spaced, tine receiving sleeves. It will be noted that only two sleeves are illustrated, however, it will be clear that any number of additional sleeves could be added as desired and that such sleeves may have any desired configuration in order to accommodate fork prongs or other beam manipulating equipment.

It is also contemplated that with this invention the load may easily be transported on a conventional missile transporting cart. These carts are ordinarily of low profile, and are designed to be easily manipulated in confined quarters. Such carts frequently utilize spaced rails mounted on edge as the load supporting surface and it is common for such rails to be spaced apart from each other different distances at opposite ends of the truck. This is occasioned by the need for providing clearance during the cart steering operation. Such a cart is depicted in FIG. 1 and includes a wheeled framework having a pair of spaced upright load supporting rails 51 mounted on edge each having a series of perforations therethrough by which the adapter bars or brackets 44, 46 may be secured in place.

In order to enable the beam of the present invention to quickly and easily be mounted upon and secured to the load bearing rails of a conventional missile transporting cart, there may be provided adjacent each tine receiving sleeve 40, 42 a transversely disposed adapter bar or bracket 44, 46. These members may be welded in place to the lower portion of the beam and also, if desired, to the lower side of the adjacent transversely extending sleeve and are generally in the shape shown in FIG. 4 where bar 44 is illustrated as contoured to be received against the bottom side of the beam 10 and to be welded or otherwise secured thereto.

It will be noted that the adapter bars 44, 46 are provided with a pair of wide, rail receiving slots 48, 50, respectively, so that when mounted upon a cart, the load supporting rails 51 thereof are accommodated within the spaced slots 48, 50. To retain the beam on the cart, quick disconnect retaining pins 52, 54 may be provided adjacent each adapter bar and may be stored in tubular sockets 56 when not in use.

In order to allow for variations in the height of the load supporting rails of a cart, spacer blocks 58, 60 (FIG. 4) may be employed. When in use, these are located in the wide rail receiving slots 48, 50 and may be retained in that position by keeper pins 62 which in turn are kept in place by expandable roll pins" 64. When deeper slots 48, 50 are necessary, the spacers 58, 60 may readily be removed.

When using the transversely disposed adapter bars 44, 46, the beam is lowered into place on the spaced, load supporting rails of the conventional missile cart and, thereafter, retaining pins 52, 54 (FIG. 3) are inserted into the appropriate openings 66, 68 in the opposite adapter bar ends and through selected openings 70 in the missile cart support rails to securely lock the beam in place.

In order to facilitate load handling by chain hoist 14, an attachment bar 72 of generally oblong cross-section may be securely affixed to the upper U-shaped channel member 20 as by welding. This bar 72 preferably lies between adapter bars 44, 46 to which it may also be welded and contains along its length a series of spaced openings 71 which accommodate a shackle 74 into which the hook of a conventional chain hoist may engage. Of course, shackle 74 may be placed anywhere along bar 72 and preferably at a position most closely corresponding to the center of gravity of the load.

From FIG. 1, it will be observed that the support beam of this invention may be used below the load so as to support such load on a cart or storage rack and may, when inverted, be used above the load to support it from a chain hoist or the like. When used in either position to support a missile, the usual missile support lugs are employed as mounting fixtures. From the foregoing it will be seen that a very versatile adapter for heavy, elongate objects is provided.

In use, as shown in FIG. 1, an adapter beam supported upon a missile cart or by the tines of a fork lift truck is positioned beneath a horizontally oriented missile which is suspended above the beam. Thereafter, forward and aft shoes 24, 26 are fitted over those conventional forward and aft missile supporting lugs which depend from the underside of the missile. It will be observed that shoes 24, 26 are provided with shoe positioning stops 76 and 78, respectively, which stops assure that each shoe is properly positioned upon its missile lug, where each shoe is supported by overhanging lips 80, 82 respectively. These stops also serve to restrict missile forward and aft shifting movement after the missile has been lowered so that the tapered stems 28, 30, respectively, of each shoe, each enters its tapered socket 32, 34, respectively. Keeper pins 36, 38 may then be inserted through openings 84, 86 to lock each of the shoes in place. It will be noted that the missile is kept from shifting lengthwise by the stop pads 76, 78 securely welded in place as shown and preventing any such movement. Also abutments 88 and 90 assist in preventing misplacement of the shoes after the load is in place on the beam.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for facilitating the handling of elongate heavy objects by power machinery comprising:

an elongate beam adapted to be positioned alongside the object to be handled;

means for securing the beam to the object so that movement of the beam correspondingly moves the object;

means for coupling said beams to power-operated machinery, said means comprising at least one transversely disposed sleeve providing a cavity with which a power-manipulated object-engaging apparatus may engage; and

adapter shoes located at each end of the beam, said shoes being removable for attachment to the load to be supported and thereafter being secured to the beam ends'by a simple translating movement into engagement therewith, each adapter shoe including a tapered post, said support beam including correspondingly tapered sockets to receive each such post whereby mating of the parts is facilitated.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein missile cart engaging adapter bars are transversely mounted beneath the beams and are secured thereto, each of said bars being provided with means to secure the beam to the load supporting rails of a missile transporting cart.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein each adapter bar includes a pair of spaced notches in the undersurface thereof into which the supporting rails are received.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein a spacer block is located in each notch to reduce the effective depth of such notch.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein an overhead hoist attachment bar is secured along one side of the beam and includes hoist engagement means whereby the beam and load may be raised by overhead hoist means. 

1. Apparatus for facilitating the handling of elongate heavy objects by power machinery comprising: an elongate beam adapted to be positioned alongside the object to be handled; means for securing the beam to the object so that movement of the beam correspondingly moves the object; means for coupling said beams to power-operated machinery, said means comprising at least one transversely disposed sleeve providing a cavity with which a power-manipulated objectengaging apparatus may engage; and adapter shoes located at each end of the beam, said shoes being removable for attachment to the load to be supported and thereafter being secured to the beam ends by a simple translating movement into engagement therewith, each adapter shoe including a tapered post, said support beam including correspondingly tapered sockets to receive each such post whereby mating of the parts is facilitated.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein missile cart engaging adapter bars are transversely mounted beneath the beams and are secured thereto, each of said bars being provided with means to secure the beam to the load supporting rails of a missile transporting cart.
 3. The device of claim 2 wherein each adapter bar includes a pair of spaced notches in the undersurface thereof into which the supporting rails are received.
 4. The device of claim 3 wherein a spacer block is located in each notch to reduce the effective depth of such notch.
 5. The device of claim 1 wherein an overhead hoist attachment bar is secured along one side of the beam and includes hoist engagement means whereby the beam and load may be raised bY overhead hoist means. 